Page 40 of The Most Wanted Witch

We stopped in front of the store.

“What happens if they say I can’t?” she asked.

“They won’t. People are a little afraid of me. And if they aren’t scared of me, they’re terrified of Hawk, and they’ll expect him to show up next.” I smiled. Being scary wasn’t always a bad thing.

“Yeah, that’s true. He always has your back.”

The way she said it, you would’ve thought it was an absolute truth, like it had been etched in stone and written in the stars. Too bad that wasn’t true, like Xazier had pointed out last night.

The owner of Bewitching was smiling at me through the window, probably adding up the coin I’d spend in her head. Her gaze landed on Bibbi, and there was a curious look but nothing unfriendly.

I opened the door for Bibbi and motioned for her to go first. Bibbi lifted her chin and walked in.

The owner walked right over. “So nice to see you. What can I do for you today?”

“Not her. I’m the one shopping today,” Bibbi said with some backbone to spare.

“Of course, what did you have in mind?”

She scanned the room like a kid in a candy store. “I’m not sure, but I think I want to try onall of it.”

We stepped out of Bewitching, and Bibbi had a bounce in her step.

“Look how it moves,” she said, her exaggerated movements making the hem of her jacket flare.

I nodded. “Very nice.”

“Thank you. I think so too.”

“That blush color is amazing on you.”

She flipped her hair as I spotted a group behind her heading our way. No one approached me unless I knew them and they were on my side. At some point since the immigration stories had passed, or maybe the dragon incident—could’ve been the flashing colors in the alley; I didn’t exactly know which story—but people had started crossing the street when I approached, the way they did for Hawk. This group looked angry, and they were heading right toward me.

“Bibbi, we’ve got problems.”

“Yeah, I’d say so. No one is going to be able to stop looking at me in these new clothes. How will anyone be able to work? It’s definitely a problem.” She kept walking with an extra swing in her step.

I grabbed her arm, hurrying her along with me.

She looked where I’d clamped a hand on her, which was not a Xest thing to do. “Oh, you meanrealproblems.”

I glanced over my shoulder again. Bibbi followed my lead.

“Oh. That is a problem.”

Her pace finally picked up, but I didn’t let go of her arm. This was going to be a battle for sure. How did I fight a group? One on one was a different issue than being surrounded, people coming at you from every angle. Yes, I’d killed more than one before, but it was an accident with a dome and a blast. I needed reinforcements. As much as I loved Bibbi, she wasn’t going to cut it.

“Turn right up ahead there. After we turn, you run and get help.”

“What? I’m not leaving you. That’s crazy. There’s ten of them.” She glanced back again. “Nope. Make that fifteen.”

I pulled her into the alley and grabbed her shoulders. “You have to. There is another group heading in the opposite direction. If you don’t get help, I’m dead. If you stay, we’re both dead.”

She shook her head. “If I stay, you’ll have a better chance of fighting them off. You’vegotthis.”

“There’s too many. Bibbi, you have to go get help or we’re both dead.”

“I can’t leave you.”

---